Bayern Munich come off their successful tie against Sevilla to return to Bundesliga action. The hosts opened the match lazy, but quickly responded to romp their hopeful visitors 5-1.
Bayern succumb to early-game lethargy
The match opened up to relative contention between the two sides. Both teams had fairly back-and-forth possession. Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach both probed around each others midfield to get a feel for their opponents.
However, this sense of even-sided play did not last for long. And unfortunately, this didn’t bode well for the home side. Not long after the initial back-and-forth play between the two, Bayern noticeably sat off and stayed deeper within their own boundaries of the pitch.
This allowed Monchengladbach to play their own game more comfortably. It became more and more evident, as the early pressure started to mount. Borussia Monchengladbach gradually started to sniff out early half-chances to create attacks on Bayern’s end.
The pressure continued to tilt in Gladbach’s favor until the deadlock quickly broke just over eight minutes into the half. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Jonas Hofmann got a hold of possession down Bayern’s left flank of the pitch and let loose a wonderful through-ball to Josip Drmic. After an excellent piece of skill to rid himself of Niklas Sule’s poor challenge.
Drmic then slotted in a well-placed, curled shot past an outreached Sven Ulreich. Once again, Bayern Munich unfortunately succumbed to an early dose of lethargy and were forced to react to a deficit. It has become a recurring theme as of late, and should Bayern keep it up, it’s hard to see them advance past looming Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Bayern step up their play after going down
On a positive note, it seemed the early deficit was the kick in the pants Bayern needed to step up their game. But, again, Bayern won’t be awarded such luxuries against heavier opposition in the knockout matches to come. After going a goal up, Borussia Monchengladbach seemed to drop off and cool down their own play.
The visiting side began to sit deeper, content already with simply defending the lead. Bayern Munich then were able to get back into the groove of things. The Bavarian champions began dictating their own rhythm and match tempo. Niklas Sule let Thomas Muller through on goal. He swiftly cut the ball back to oncoming Sandro Wagner to tap home and level the match.
More from Bayern Strikes
- Bayern Munich: Tactical takeaways from 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen
- Bayern Munich: Kingsley Coman set to be fit for Manchester United clash
- Bayern Munich unlikely to move for Trevoh Chalobah in January
- Bayern Munich: Key lessons from draw against Bayer Leverkusen
- Bayern Munich remains keen on hiring Max Eberl
Sandro did not end his day in the sun just yet, however. In the 40th minute, Wagner pushed Bayern into the lead. Muller had an initial cross blocked off by his marker, but got a second bite of the cherry. His second lobbed pass into the box found Wagner’s head for the big striker to squeeze past Yann Sommer. With that, Bayern closed the first 45 minutes in the lead.
The second half proved to be more of the same from Bayern Munich. The home team continued to dominate the game in possession as well as going forward, and Gladbach stayed relatively passive.
Bayern’s third came just five minutes into the second half. Corentin Tolisso was set free down the right flank with space and fired in a low, driven cross for Sandro Wagner. Sommer made the initial save, but Thiago was at the right place to make simple work and make it 3-1. Bayern Munich continued to steamroll their opposition.
Almost 67 minutes gone, David Alaba stepped up with a piece of magic. The left-back found himself at the edge of the Borussia Monchengladbach penalty area, cut inside to his right foot, and unleashed a laser, leaving Yann Sommer flat-footed to his goal and with no chance for a save.
Substitute Robert Lewandowski then capped off the match with his 27th goal of the season. Another wonderful cross from Joshua Kimmich on the right-flank found its way into a busy Gladbach penalty box and to Lewandowski’s feet. The Polish striker made no mistake, slotting home into the bottom-right corner to finish the game at 5-1.
Next: Bayern Munich cruise to 5-1 victory against Gladbach -- Player grades
Bayern look onward to knockout matches
Following their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title, there’s no time for celebration just yet. This victory was comprehensive to be sure, but there’s still plenty to learn from it defensively. Up ahead, Bayern Munich face Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal and eventually a massive tie against Real Madrid in the Champions League.